bandall



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PURDY M. RANDALL AND ALICE RANDALL, OF MILVAUKEE, \VISGONSIN, ASSIGNORS, BY MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, TO \VILLIAM MEYST, IV ALTER A. HOLBROOK, AND RICHARD KLAU, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

BUS'TLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,726, dated April 5, 1887.

Application filed November 15, 1880. Serial No. 218,903. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, PURDY M. RANDALL and ALICE RANDALL, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of VViscousin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bustles; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof. Ourinvention relates to bustles; and it con- IO sists in certain peculiarities of construction, as

will be fully set forth hereinafter.

. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the improved bustle with the drapery removed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same complete. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views illustrating the construction of the device.

A is the waistband, made of any suitable fabric, and from this depend strips BB, preferably five in number, connected by a cross-strip,

A. This cross-strip and the two outside or end strips, B B, are preferably of doubled or folded fabric, and between their two layers there is inserted the flat steel stiffening-frame O O 0, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

B B are side pieces secured to the strips B B, and provided with eyelets b Z, for the re ception of a corset-lace, B to regulate the size or expansion of the bustle. I

D D are spiral springs, terminating at one end in loops or eyes (i, by which they are secured to snap-hooks a a, fastened to the band A, which hooks also usually take in the upper spiral of each spring. Similar snap-hooks, a, (only wider,) are secured to the band A, and each of these snap-hooks is designed to hold a group of the spirals of the springs closely together on the side opposite the loop d, as shown in Fig. 1, where six spirals from the top downward are shown caught in each hook. 0 This gives the desired projection to the bustle, which can be varied or adjusted by catching more or less of the spirals in the catch-hooks a, as desired.

E is a strip of hoopskirt wire of ordinary 4 5 construction, covered with fabric, which is clipped to a spiral of each of thethree springs D, as shown at e e e, and whose ends are secured to the strips of fabric B B. F is a similar strip of covered hoop-skirt wire simi larly clipped at f f f to thebottom coils of the springs D; but instead of being directly connected to the strips B B the connection is made by strips of flexible or rubber cord F F, which are secured by clamps f f to the ends of the strip F, and whose other ends are secured to the lower part of the strips B B. The waistbandA is provided with a buckle or other ordinary fastening device. This completes the frame of the bustle.

In-Fig. 4 we represent in outline the preto ferred shape of the drapery G, (of lace-like or similar texture,) which is cut with darts g 9.

Fig. 5 shows a lining-piece, H, provided with similar darts, h h, whose purpose is to guard against the drapery falling in at the top between the springs D, and these pieces G and H are sewed together at the darts, instead of being gathered or tucked, or plaited, which secures the desired shape without bunching the material, and then the drapery is secured to the band A, (which may be doubled and receive the top of the drapery between its layers,) the completed bustle being represented in Fig. 2.

The object of the strips E and F is to prevent the bustle'from getting out of shape sidewise, while, as the strip F has elastic connec tions with the strips B, it presents no obstacle to the folding of the springs D, and the proper projection of the bustle is always insured by reason of the securing of a desired number of the spirals to the cross-strip A, as described. The flat stifl'ening-spring O is pivoted or riveted at c to the end of cross-pieces O O, and aids materially in keeping all of the series of springs D evenly in place. Another advantage of the strips E and F lies in the fact that they prevent the outline of the springs from showing through the skirts of the wearer, and hence impart an added smoothness to the said go skirts.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a bustle, the combination, with the waistband, of a series of spiral springs, the up per ends of which are fastened to said band, while a group of several of the spirals from the top downward are fastened together to give the required projection to the bustle, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bustle, the combination, with the waistband and depending strips of fabric united by a cross-strip, of a series of spiral springs, the upper ends of which are secured to the waistband, while a group of several of the spirals from the top downward are secured, on the opposite side from the top fastening, to the erossstrip, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bustle, the combination, with the waistband and depending strips of fabric united by a cross-strip, of a series of spiral springs secured to the waistband and to the cross-strip, a wire strip clipped to the springs opposite their point of attachment to the cross-strip, and secured directly to the outer or end depending strips, and another wire strip similarly clipped to the bottom spirals of the springs, the ends of said latter strip having elastic connection with the lower part of the said end depending strips, substantially as set forth.

at. In a bustle, the combination, with the waistband and depending strips of fabric united by a cross-strip of fabric and a series of spiral springs secured to the waistband and to the cross-strip, of drapery out with darts and sewed along the edges of the same and t0 the waistband, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of VViscousin, in the presence of two witnesses.

WVitnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, LILLIE SHERWOOD; 

